The Art of Second Guessing
And though the Lord gives you The bread of adversity and the water of affliction,
Yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore,
But your eyes shall see your teachers.
21 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,
? This is the way, walk in it,?
Whenever you turn to the right hand
Or whenever you turn to the left. ~Isaiah 30:20-21
I?ve always loved these verses. No matter what adversity or affliction comes to my life it is a tremendous comfort to know that, no matter which way I turn, the Spirit of God will be right behind me guiding me into His truth; His way; His life, rather than my own.
Many days I experience a great deal of conflict in my own mind over whether I am hearing my own flesh and justifying my own way or if I am hearing His voice and being led into His ways. Many days it?s difficult to discern exactly what the Lord is calling me to do or not do; to say or not say. I must constantly seek Him, study His Word and remain sensitive to His Spirit. Even so, I am ever and always second guessing the words I should speak or not speak and the actions I should take or not take. When I fail to do all of these things, I undoubtably and repeatedly fail to live and walk in the Spirit and in grace and love. I guess I shouldn?t be surprised; this is a war, after all.
Fortunately, I have the bread of adversity, which, coincidentally, adds an audible voice behind me at every turn and virtually constantly in my daily life.
Mom is very anxious most days. (This morning as I was thinking on these things, without speaking or responding back, I counted five actions I took that she ?second guessed? in the first three minutes after we woke up.) Literally every move I make is watched, commented on and second guessed by her anxiety. The fact that the Lord has arranged my life this way has brought a tremendous amount of adversity to an otherwise peaceful daily stay-at-home mommy life.
The problem lies not in the adversity itself, but in the fact that I do not rest in Him and remain in quiet surrender every waking moment during that adversity ? which is indeed what must happen if I am to have peace amidst the constant negativity and strife.
This particular adversity is exactly what the Lord sees fit to bring my character into a holy place. I believe it is His ?art of second guessing? through the voice of an anxious mom that is carrying me toward a place of keen hearing concerning His own voice as well. I?d like to share a few things from this 30th chapter of Isaiah to further elaborate on the wisdom and strength found in resting quietly in the way of the Lord. I will just reference the verses I?m dealing with rather than quoting them all.
For thus says the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel:
? In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.? But you would not, ~Isaiah 30:15
Isa 30:1-2 These ?rebellious? children of the Lord were looking to the strength and wisdom of the world and other humans rather than the counsel and Spirit of the Lord. In fact, they were seeking Egypt, a land and people who were pagan and had held them in oppression and slavery in their past.
Isa 30:9-12 They refused the truth of the prophets sent to them by God for their encouragement, teaching in wisdom and their own good. They would neither hear them nor put up with anyone who spoke the truth. They trusted and relied upon oppression and perversity.
Isa 30:16 They ran away from the proper methods given to them by God. (Quiet rest, dependance and waiting on Him for strength and safety IN troubles and instead tried to RUN AWAY FROM those troubles altogether.) They hurried here and there grasping at every foreign aide they could find.
Therefore, this is what became of them:
Isa 30:3 The idols in which they trusted God turned to their own shame and humiliation.
Isa 30:5-7 They were not helped by those in whom they trusted.
Isa 30:6 They were deceived by their distrust of God?s ways and thought they could be safer in any other place when the truth was that they were running full speed towards the most dangerous place of past slavery and oppression they had ever known (Egypt).
Isa 30:9 They were known as rebellious, deceptive and deaf.
Isa 30:13 Sin and inquity found them and broke them.
Isa 30:17 They would be so dispirited with their own fears that one of the enemy would deafeat a thousand of them. They were generally cut off save one here or there kept as a warning and beacon for others to avoid the sinful courses and carnal confidences. (Matthew Henry)
What unrest we bring to our own lives when we attempt to circumvent God?s ways with our own! Our God is so merciful that He still has the grace to save a remnant from the error of this self dependancy and deception. (Isa 30:18-19)
Isa 30:20 Though following the road of God?s choosing, His methods, ways and Spirit will be painful and difficult, obedience and dependancy on Him will offer wisdom and sight where running away and trusting in any place else will result in remaining foolish and blind.
Isa 30:21 His voice will echo in the ears of those who he has preserved and they will put away the idols of their own destruction.
Isa 30:23-25 He will bless those who trust in Him and hear His voice. He will keep them safe in the day of destruction.
Please pray that I personally would listen to His voice during these days of adversity. I pray you also would be wise according to this passage of scripture and heed its warnings as followers of God and live wholly in His ways, His truth and His life. Amen.